In December 2009 the StarLight Tourist Certification was been presented at the UN-WTO (World Tourism Organization) headquarters with the title "The StarLight Tourism Certification System: A New Vision: Science and Tourism under the Stars". It is the first Certification System for tourist destinations whose main resource is the starry sky and astronomical observations. It is an important step toward getting the tourism world involved in the defence of astronomy and its associated values.

The StarLight Tourism Certification System was created with the aim of encouraging, at world-wide level, the improvement of the quality of tourist experiences and the protection of the night skies in StarLight Destinations. These are places that can be visited and have excellent properties for contemplating the star-studded skies and for tourist activities based on this resource.

The StarLight Certification seeks to guarantee the capacity to enjoy the view of the stars and to discover the associated scientific, cultural, natural and scenic values. It makes it possible for the first time to bring science and tourism together, creating a new form of intelligent tourism that provides innovative criteria for a responsible development of this activity based on astronomy and a vision of the firmament.”